


curiosity killed the cat

by offclsyn



Category: A.C.E (Beat Interactive Band)
Genre: Bear Sehyoon, Cat Junhee, Cub Sehyoon, Cuddling, Fluff, Hand Feeding, Kitty Junhee, Kitty Space, M/M, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Pet Play, Praise, Rewards, Slow Burn, Trust, but he's also a supportive bestie!!! and protects junhee grr >:(, but he's also very over the place, byeongkwan is mentioned zero, donghun is firm, donghun is so oblivious, everyone needs kitty junhee, junhee really is the sweetest baby!!!, non-sexual pet play, sehyoon is scary, this is going to be a 2 part series, use of nicknames... again, yuchan is mentioned 2 (two) times
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-07
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2019-06-23 14:05:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15607908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/offclsyn/pseuds/offclsyn
Summary: ‘’Junhee has this, uh, thing. He slips into a certain mind space. Where he’s a . . . cat. It takes the edge off, y’know? It makes him feel peaceful and it lets him tune out anything bothering him.’’ A pause. ‘’Still with me?’’Donghun is in fact not still with him.Or, in which Donghun comes home expecting to have a relaxing night only to see Junhee acting odd. As in, meowing and pawing at his face odd.





	curiosity killed the cat

**Author's Note:**

> before we start i need to mention how this all works. 
> 
> i do have experience in pet play, i've worked with multiple people who have different headspaces. now, each person's mindspace is different. i simply chose to write junhee like this because i feel it would suit him best. please keep in mind that junhee is NOT AN ACTUAL CAT!!! he just has the headspace of one in certain occasions.
> 
> enjoy reading!

Donghun prides himself on being a good man. A good man with good morals and a good future ahead of himself. Overall,  _good_.  

 

He'll be graduating from college soon to pursue a career in the government section; maybe move out of the city and find a lovely partner to spend his life with.  

 

He has a clumsy roommate and an annoying best friend (who happens to be an overly excitable man-child with a knee condition _—_  which doesn't appear to hinder his lifestyle one bit _—_ ) but if Donghun could overlook that, then anyone could. So, he's cool, he's secure and happy. What more could he want?   
 

  

 

 

Donghun thinks exactly this as he comes back from the mini-mart just down the street run by some lovely  _Ajummas_  with a bag full of pre-made kimchi, rice cakes, and crackers.  

 

He pulls out his wallet from his back pocket and fingers for a familiar card in the mess of random business cards he accepts from strangers on the streets. He lands on the correct one and swipes it in the appropriate manner. The apartment door opens with a click of the lock and a beep comes from the alarm system hardwired into the building. He puts his wallet and keycard in his front pocket. 

 

He steps inside and his shoulders sag with relief as a long day of school is finally over and now he can relax in the comfort of his own bed. Donghun may be in his third year of university but he’ll never get used to how laboring every task he’s assigned proves to be. Mock criminal case after mock criminal case. (He never gets a break so any off-time is time well spent.) 

 

Donghun wipes his feet on the oddly placed 'Welcome Home' rug (which is for some reason inside the apartment and not outside the door where it would make more sense). He toes off his shoes and leaves them propped against the creme wall and announces his arrival with a loud, ''Jun-ah! I'm back and I brought food tonight!'' 

  

He gets no answer in response. Usually, a scream would suffice but this time it's deadly silent.  

 

His eyebrows furrow and the edges of his lips slightly pull down in a confused frown. He closes the door behind him and effectively locks it with a turn of the metal latch. 

 

 He turns the corner, walks away from the makeshift mudroom, and steps into the kitchen. He sets down the plastic bag and unpacks all the items inside. He places the crackers and rice cakes next to the sugar container and puts the kimchi in the fridge so as to not have it spoil. He picks up a wet rag from the sink and starts wiping down the counters.  

 

Even with all the energy sucked out of him Donghun still finds a way to clean up something. (Yes, even if it’s not dirty.) Typical.  

  

Five minutes have gone by with Donghun fixing up small disarrays in the kitchen when he still gets no indication of Junhee's presence. By now, the younger man would have been telling him corny jokes and be asking him how his day was.   

 

However, the air is still unmoving and the only noise occupying the apartment is Donghun's movement in the kitchen.  

 

He puts the rag back in its original spot and dusts off imaginary lint from his shirt and wipes his hands on his jeans.  He cracks his neck before exiting the kitchen and stepping into the living room.  

  

Empty. His eyes scan the area and can't find a single Park Junhee to be identified. At this point, he just thinks he's probably out with that 'Sehyoon' friend of his but with another sweep of the living room, he is proven wrong as Donghun sees Junhee's phone wedged into a crack in the couch cushions.  

 

He walks up to the couch and bends down slightly to pull it from its position. He pushes the home-circle button and sees his lock screen is now a picture of Donghun standing with his hands on his hips looking annoyed at something.  

 

He quickly scrolls down through the recent notifications and sees twenty-three messages from Sehyoon (with a bear emoji) and an email from an address titled 'Dear Future Me'. Donghun chuckles lightly and thinks  _cute_. 

  

He places the phone face down on the coffee table settled in front of the brown couch and cracks his back. A groan leaves his mouth as a particular pop squeezes the air out of his bones.  

 

Now that he remembers, he hasn’t checked to see if he got any important calls. He quickly fishes his phone from somewhere deep in his jeans and taps on the screen. His phone lights up and flashes with big letters displaying the word ‘ _Eomma_ _’_. Seven missed calls. Donghun has to physically stop himself from groaning out loud at the sight.  

 

The man pinches the space between his eyebrows and sighs.  That never means anything good. Donghun loves his mother, of course he does, but she’s so demanding and hardheaded at times that Donghun finds his attempts at changing her perspective on things a complete waste of time. 

 

Whenever his mother calls it’s usually her asking for updates on his life. She complains about why Donghun couldn’t have moved into a larger apartment (preferably without a roommate). He always answers with the same thing that manages to keep her somewhat quiet, ‘You know I’ve always been a people person and I like having company.’ His apartment is cozy. Donghun  _likes_  cozy.  

 

He decides he really cannot deal with anyone talking his ear off today and mentally notes to call his mother back sometime this week. If he remembers.  

 

Donghun just needs to rest. He deserves it.  

 

His eyes fall on the two doors to the left of the living room. One is Donghun's room and another is Junhee's. He'll go and check up on Junhee once he finishes settling down. 

 

He enters his room and empties his pockets; leaving his keycard on the bedside table along with his wallet and throwing his phone on the bed. Not seeing the need to close the door, he slides off his polka-dot socks and wiggles his toes, unbuttons his diagonal-striped shirt, and shimmies down his skinny jeans after popping the button and unzipping it.  

 

He grabs all his discarded clothing articles and tosses them in the dirty hamper positioned next to his long dresser.  

 

Now that he’s standing completely naked except for a pair of briefs, Donghun closes the door a bit and stands in front of the mirror placed behind the door. He looks good. Great, even. He’s been working out more often and eating healthier (although, today is his cheat day). He smiles at himself in the mirror before blowing a kiss and giggling, dark red hair falling in front of his eyes as he shakes his head in laughter.  He opens the door again and goes back to his previous task.  

 

Walking up to his dresser, he pulls out the first drawer and blindly grabs a pair of sweatpants and a graphic tee that's a bit tight after years of ownership of it but it still remains Donghun's favorite shirt; a black shirt with a simple design; the word ‘smile’ in the center of the shirt. 

  

Feeling satisfied, he pulls the outfit on and closes the drawer shut. He walks out of his room and takes a sharp turn, coming face-to-face with Junhee's shut door. He brings his hand up, fingers curled into a loose fist and knocks three times.  

 

He waits a bit but gets no response.  

 

He shifts his weight from one foot to another and sucks in his bottom lip, eyebrows gravitating towards the center of his face. Donghun really hopes he isn’t doing anything private in there. That would explain why the younger man wouldn’t be able to hear him. Donghun is about to pull back and just leave the man alone but decides against it; his better judgment obviously clouded by his worries.  

 

Donghun knocks again, this time in a generic, sing-song tune but still no response. He checks the doorknob and twists it. The door falls open and he looks around the room to find the lights off and Junhee's laptop sitting open on his bed, the bed sheets are also slightly wrinkled. Donghun unconsciously takes a whiff of the air. Smells fine, he supposes. 

 

  Junhee is also missing, he notes. Really? Where on Earth could the younger man be?  _There aren’t many places to hide_ , Donghun reasons,  _He has to be here_. 

 

Stepping further into the room, he drops his hand from where it is sitting on the knob and softly calls out 'Junhee?' He hears a slight shuffle coming from the other side of the bed and he takes slow steps, turning the lights on in the process. His head stretches to see what the source of the sound is. 

 

When Donghun reaches the foot of the bed he sees a mess of brown locks and then the rest of Junhee's body. 

 

He's on the floor in fetal position. For some reason. 

  

''Junhee? Are you okay? Come on, get up,'' Donghun says softly, afraid to scare the younger man. He can never be too careful.  

 

When it’s obvious that he is not going to move, Donghun steps directly in front of Junhee's scrunched up body and crouches to meet his level. Still no reaction.  

 

Donghun reaches out and touches Junhee's arm when all of a sudden he mewls. Junhee fucking  _mewls_. Donghun slowly removes his hand. It doesn't stop there; while Donghun is staring at him in blatant confusion, Junhee’s tiny hand balls up into a small fist and starts rubbing at Donghun's hand as if pawing at him.  

   
 

Junhee finally lifts his head up and he stares at Donghun weirdly, his eyes are unfocused. There are marks on his face, signs of a good sleep, and he licks his lips, tongue peeking out just barely. 

 

‘’Junhee, come on, stop acting weird. I’ve had a long day, —’’ the aforementioned man rolls on his back, legs splayed everywhere and hands coming up to rub at his cheeks, ‘’ . . . and I just want to have dinner with you so I can sleep, —’’ Junhee removes his hands and blinks away the sleep, ‘’and get on with my, —’’ 

 

 _‘’Meow.’’_  

 

Donghun’s mouth snaps shut. His cheeks flush a light shade of pink and his throat runs dry. (Donghun ignores the sudden rise in temperature in the room.) 

 

He lets go of a breath he didn’t even know he was holding and scrambles to his feet. Donghun was always one to scare easy, and right now, he's  _terrified_. Slightly intrigued, but the fear rising up through his body quickly overpowers that.  

 

His fight or flight response starts and Donghun, being the type of person that he is, naturally flees. He was never one for confrontation unless he knew exactly what needed to do be done. A planner, some might call him.  

 

‘’I-I’ll be right back. I’m just . . .  _fuck_ , I don’t know just don’t do anything OK?’’ Donghun staggers backward and makes his way out of the room. He stops once he reaches the doorway and proceeds to run a hand through his hair.  

 

 _What the fuck._  

 

Donghun pinches the skin on his elbow andhe quickly casts a glance over his shoulder just to make sure his sleep-deprived mind isn't making anything up. 

 

 Still there. 

 

He faces forward and a million things run through his head. Did Junhee hit his head somewhere? Is that why he's acting so out of the ordinary? Oh my  _God_ , what if he has a concussion and never remembers who he is?  

 

Donghun breathes sharply through his nose and wills away the thought.  _I'm going crazy_ , he thinks. 

 

His eyes flutter around the room until they land on Junhee’s phone. He rushes towards the coffee table where he previously placed the device, picks it up and comes face-to-face with a locked screen asking for a four-digit passcode. Donghun goes on a whim and inputs his own birthday. The home screen comes into view.  _Bingo._  

 

Donghun restlessly taps his foot as he wracks his brain to try and figure out what he can do. He remembers seeing Sehyoon’s contact pop up multiple times on the notifications tab and thinks,  _he might know something, right?_  

 

Donghun opens the contacts log and dials up Sehyoon’s name. He puts the phone up to his ear and hears the first ring. “Come on, come on, come on . . .” he chants. On the sixth ring, the younger man finally picks up.  

 

Before Donghun even opens his mouth, he’s interrupted by the man on the other line, ‘’ _Junhee_ , oh my gosh, you had me so worried. I’m so sorry. You just _—,_ you fell asleep on me! I was going to come get you, I swear. It was only another ten minutes and then you could slip but then my job called and they just needed me to fill in for one of my co-workers who’s sick and _—o_ h my g- I'm  _so_  sorry Junhee.’’ By the end of his speech, Sehyoon is absolutely breathless and clearly still worried about his best friend’s wellbeing.  

 

‘’Uh,’’ Donghun dumbly responds. 

 

The elder can only process two things from that ramble.  _One,_ that message was meant for Junhee and definitely not for him.  _Two,_ slip? Why would Sehyoon let Junhee slip from anywhere?  _Shit_. The corner of Donghun's lips pull down in a frown and his brows are furrowed. What if he  _does_  have brain damage? Donghun doesn't want to entertain the thought. 

 

There’s another brief moment of silence before the air is interrupted with a static crackle resounding from the phone, indicating that Sehyoon is going to say something.  

 

‘’Junnie? Are . . . Is Kitty here? Does he wanna play?’’ There's an air of hesitancy in the way he says it and a softer tone takes over Sehyoon's voice. Kitty?  _What?_  

 

Donghun's absolutely,  _fucking_  confused to say the least. Perplexed. Mind-boggled. His throat feels like he hasn't drunken water in ages but he has half the mind to quickly respond before anything gets to be ‘’weird’’.  

 

‘’Hello, yeah, — _um . . ._ this isn’t Junhee? It’s actually his roommate, Donghun?’’  He winces at the obvious crack in his voice. 

 

The elder can somehow feel the air become thicker between the two the moment he says that and they aren’t even in the same  _room._ Donghun hears a thumping noise and then a muffled  _‘shit_ ’ coming from somewhere on the other line.   

 

Sehyoon picks up his phone and shakily breathes out. Donghun gulps. 

 

‘’ _Right_. OK. How much money?’’  

 

A dumb, ‘’Huh?’’ is all Donghun can muster. 

 

‘’  _How much money_   for you to keep your mouth shut and never speak of this.  _Ever_.’’ Sehyoon responds with a slight growl in his voice.  

 

Donghun feels a shiver rack his body and he shakily replies, ‘’ _Christ_ , man. Listen, let’s worry about that later but I have a really big problem right now.’’ Donghun takes the silence as a note to continue. ‘’Something’s up with Junhee. He _—_ He’s acting weird. Meowed and everything; like a  _cat_. You’re the only person I think of that could help so, please. Can you? Help?’’  

 

Donghun holds his breath, desperately hoping the younger can do something. He's not one to go asking others for help. Always tries to assess the situation and help by his own hand as much as he can. This just happens to be the only thing he can't wrap his damn mind around. 

 

He hears a sigh and then a quiet, ‘’Fine,’’ come from the other line. 

 

Donghun smiles widely and lets go of the breath he’s holding. He looks across to Junhee’s room and still sees the man on the floor seemingly napping. He takes a seat on the couch. 

 

Sehyoon loudly sighs as if he’s had to do explain before and Donghun winces, starting to regret asking him about this when it obviously seems to be a hard topic to talk about. ‘’Alright. So, this may sound weird to you, I don’t know your experiences so just listen and  _don’t_  interrupt.’’  

 

Donghun nods before quickly responding with a high-pitched ‘Yes’. He clears his throat. 

 

‘’Junhee has this, uh,  _thing_. He slips into a certain mind space. Where he’s a . . . cat. It takes the edge off, y’know? It makes him feel peaceful and it lets him tune out anything bothering him.’’ A pause. ‘’Still with me?’’ 

 

 

 

Donghun is in fact  _not_  still with him. He is sitting on his couch, and mentally somewhere far, far away. Never in his life has Donghun ever been left dumbfounded. He always knows the answers; always the person with something smart to say. Yet, here he sits on his couch not being able to wrap his mind around this. There's a pull in him; a pull to understand this dynamic, so he can understand  _Junhee_.  

 

Donghun doesn't understand. (He wants to,  _needs to,_  understand, he mentally decides.) 

 

He slowly looks across the living room, into Junhee's room and where the young man is lying on the floor, looking so _small_. A hint of a smile appears on his face.  

 

His heart beats marginally faster and the word 'cute' pops up into his mind. The thought leaves as quick as it comes. 

 

 

 

 

Donghun abruptly comes back to Earth thanks to Sehyoon's voice ringing in his ears and repeatedly calling his name. ‘’-Hun? Donghun! Answer me, old man,’’ Sehyoon raises his voice, a scowl present in his tone.  

 

‘’Y-yeah, I’m here!  _Jesus_. Zoned out. Continue, please,’’ Donghun stammers. He shifts on his spot on the couch and lies down, kicking his feet up, right leg crossed over the left one.  

 

‘’Right. Anyways. When he falls into this mind space he’s extremely vulnerable. Can’t speak, can’t fight back from how relaxed and ‘’gooey’’— _his words, not mine_ , _—_ he feels _._  Which is why I’m the only person he trusts to slip around.’’  

 

The edges of Donghun’s lips turn down in a resemblance of a frown at this. How come he trusts Sehyoon and not Donghun? He's his roommate, practically around the older man twenty-four-seven. Has he been 'slipping' only when the older man is out of the apartment? 

 

Sehyoon somehow manages to figure out that Donghun is mulling over this in his head and annoyedly grumbles out, ‘’I have a headspace, too. Cub. He just thinks it’s easier because we’re the same.’’  

 

 _Oh._  

 

That explains the bear emoji in his contact name.  

 

He's about to ask more about this whole animal headspace thing when he stops himself. Would things be weird between him and Junhee? Would it be best to leave him alone or help out? Would Junhee think the older man is crossing some invisible line and then hate him forever? He doesn't want that to happen, Donghun dejectedly thinks. So many questions and all the answers are right in front of him, but Donghun's  _scared_. 

 

As if sensing the man's internal monologue, Sehyoon starts up in the softest voice he's heard the man speak in the last twenty minutes, ''Donghun. It's okay. You don't have to be afraid of all this. Just trust yourself. Junhee knows the type of person you are and I'm sure once he comes out of his headspace you guys will talk about all this and possibly arrange something.''  

 

Donghun finds himself daydreaming a bit. Of him and Junhee. Him taking care of Junhee. His heart swells.  

 

''I'd like that,'' Donghun mutters, rubbing circles into the couch cushions.  

 

''Great! Let's get you started then,'' Donghun can  _hear_  the smile in his voice and he rolls his eyes. He can see why Junhee likes hanging out with him, he's a nice guy. Donghun approves. 

 

Donghun waits for him to continue, eager to know more about all of this. A few seconds later,  Sehyoon clears his throat, '’You can start off by getting him into a more comfortable attire. I take he’s still in his work outfit?’' Donghun lifts his head up and sees Junhee sporting some sneakers, a flannel, and jeans. 

 

 ‘'Yup.’' 

 

Sehyoon chuckles and a quiet 'Typical Junhee' is heard from the other line. Donghun agrees. Although Junhee is good at handling things and keeping everything together, including himself, sometimes he just lets himself go and doesn't do things unless he's told to or helped with it. 

 

‘'Next, prepare him something to eat. When he’s in his headspace he likes some warm milk and mango sticky rice. If you don’t have any mango sticky rice just give him some rice. He’ll eat it either way.’’ 

 

Donghun starts to create a mental checklist of everything he has to do and gets excited at the prospect of all this. His instinct to nurture is one set deep inside him and at times like these he can't help but fall into a role. He's proud of it too, thank you very  _much_.  

 

He also recalls that he doesn’t have any rice in the kitchen (they haven’t gone grocery shopping in a while) but he did buy rice cakes. Junhee wouldn’t mind eating those right?  

 

‘’Oh, and give him marshmallows for whenever he does something good. He’s really big on praise.’’ 

 

 Donghun feels his face light on fire. ‘’G-Good to know.’’  

 

He hears the younger man snicker on the other end. Donghun furrows his brow. Is he teasing him?  _Seriously?_ He barely knows the kid and he has the nerves to make fun of him. 

 

‘’Anything  _else_ I should know?’’ Donghun huffs, annoyed by this guy already; wants to go take care of Junhee already. 

 

‘’Hm. Play games with him ‘till he gets tired, —’’  _What games?_  Donghun thinks. Is he supposed to treat Junhee like an actual cat or is he fine with playing Scrabble? 

 

 Donghun loves Scrabble. 

 

‘’—Call him  _Junnie_  or  _Kitty._ Only ways to get him to listen to you.'' There’s that word again.  _Kitty_.  

 

Donghun is about to say his farewells when Sehyoon says something else, almost like a side note. ''Oh! He loves cuddling. A lot. The only way to get him to sleep.’’ Sehyoon says. He can practically hear the smirk in his voice. 

 

 ‘’Fuck you,’’ Donghun responds. A barking laugh is what he hears after.  

 

‘’Have fun! I’d come help but I’m a good hour away and have to work a night shift later tonight. Send pictures!’’ A beep and Sehyoon is gone. Donghun is alone. With Junhee. Who . . . feels like a cat right now.   

 

His heart beats just that tad bit faster.  

 

 _Great._  

 

 

Donghun drags his body up into a sitting position and cracks his neck, head moving from side to side. He puts Junhee’s phone back on the coffee table and rises up. He breathes out, closes his eyes and opens them again.  

 

Donghun can do this. He knows he can. This is just . . . a friend helping a friend. They're going to talk about it afterward and everything will be fine. Back to how it was before with,  _hopefully_ , a new addition to their lives at home. 

 

Donghun breathes in, and then out, ‘Here we go,’ he thinks.  

 

He makes his way to the younger of the two’s rooms and spots Junhee still on the floor except in a different position. This time his face is buried in his arms and his butt is up in the air. Donghun lightly smiles.  

 

He crouches down to Junhee’s level again and experimentally calls out, ‘’Junnie?’’  

 

This seems to pique the interest of the younger man as he lifts his head to look at Donghun. There’s a certain sparkle in his eyes and Donghun can’t help but to admire them for a second. 

 

Refocusing on the situation, he reaches out to run his hand through Junhee’s brown hair, softly scratching behind his ears. He offhandedly takes in the softness of Junhee’s locks. He must’ve showered today; even from here he can smell the peach fragrance coming from his hair. 

 

‘’Hey,’’ Donghun whispers, ‘’Junnie, you need to get up. H-Hun needs to change you.’’ There’re soft sighs escaping Junhee’s throat that the elder thinks are supposed to resemble purrs.  

 

Donghun also notices that he just referred to himself . . .  in third person. Huh. That's new. If it gets the job done then, whatever, right? 

 

Donghun continues, ‘’Wouldn’t you like that? Be nice and comfortable, kitty?’’ Donghun’s voice gets quieter as he finishes his sentence, voice nearly inaudible when he ends on ‘kitty’, but Junhee hears because next thing Donghun knows his hand is being rubbed at with the younger man’s nose.  

 

Donghun coos. He can’t help himself, it’s just so adorable. 

 

‘’ _Aw._ You’re so sweet Junnie. A sweet little kitty,’’ Donghun’s grin is lopsided and his hand travels along Junhee’s face, tracing his cheekbones as he grows more confident. Donghun feels himself slipping more and more into this role. This role of  _caregiver_  he was given. He thinks he likes it. It’s relaxing. 

 

Now, the real problem at hand. Donghun needs to figure out a way to get Junhee on the bed so he can change him. He suddenly remembers what Sehyoon mentioned about the marshmallows. 

 

‘’If you get up and go on the bed . . . Hun will give you a marshmallow!’’ Donghun says with enthusiasm, patting the mattress and making sure to emphasize ‘marshmallow’ in case Junhee couldn’t process some words in this mind space. 

 

The message gets across because the next second Junhee is stretching across the floor and slowly standing up, leaning against the wall as he yawns and he finally falls onto the bed face first. 

 

Junhee is stretched on the bed like a starfish. Limbs shooting out like that one underwater cartoon character. Donghun chuckles. 

 

The elder goes towards the bed and reaches for Junhee’s shoes. He twists the laces and unties them, watching the rope come free. He pulls one shoe off and then the other, leaving him in his cat socks.  _Cute_. Everything about Junhee today is just,  _cute_. 

 

‘’Wow! Your socks are very cute, Junnie. Matches you,’’ Donghun comments. There’s a smile on his face. 

 

Here comes the complicated part.  

 

Donghun pokes at Junhee’s hip and urges him to roll over, slightly tickling him because Junhee giggles a bit as he turns onto his back and then into a sitting position. Junhee’s attention is focused on the elder. His eyes are big and dark, pupils blown out wide. He looks like an actual cat.  

 

Donghun subconsciously swallows. He  _really_  needs to get out more, he decides. 

 

‘’Junnie? Kitty? Hun n-needs you to cooperate, OK? Can Hun take off your pants? To be comfier?’’ Donghun waits, and  _waits_  for a reply, hoping this will be easy so he can get it over with. Junhee gives him a  _meow_  and a small, shy smile in approval. He smiles back and tamps down the ticklish feeling fluttering in his stomach.  

 

Donghun grabs a pair of loose shorts and an oversized tee with a small watermelon painted on the front from inside the dresser behind him. He turns back towards Junhee and places the clothes next to him. Donghun asks Junhee to lay on his back so he can take his jeans off. The younger man complies. Then, he starts working.  

 

Donghun zips open the jeans and slips them off, ignoring the expanse of hairless smooth skin in favor of his dignity and Junhee’s, as well.  

 

He puts the shorts on Junhee and starts to unbutton the flannel. His fingers slip a lot from the sweat accumulating at the tips. 

 

He doesn’t know why he’s so nervous. It’s just a friend helping another friend. Or, is it Cat? Cat friend? _This is what friends do,_ he thinks.  _They help each other_. 

 

Donghun pulls the younger man up and starts peeling the shirt off when he looks up and sees Junhee trying to touch his nose with tongue. The elder chuckles.  He replaces the flannel with the oversized tee and steps back. 

 

Smiling to himself for getting through that task without a single hindrance, Donghun looks at Junhee again. 

 

 His hair is fussed up from all the earlier movement on the bed, his cheeks are flushed the lightest shade of pink, and the shirt loosely hangs off one side of his shoulders. He's absolutely adorable and Donghun has trouble holding back a coo. Instead, a weird gargling noise slips out and his jugular vein slightly bulges. Junhee gives him a confused look and a cock of the head.  

 

Donghun coughs, rubbing at his red-tipped ears and starts on a new topic. ''Right. You did such a good job! Wanna have your treat now?'' The older urges Junhee by giving him an encouraging smile.  

 

He sees the younger start jumping in his seat in a display of excitement and Donghun laughs loudly, eyes crinkling at the corners. ''Alright, alright. I can't carry you, though. You're gonna have to walk to the kitchen, alright, kitten?''  

 

He leans down and places a hand on Junhee's knee and turns it up, displaying his palm to him to hint at something. Junhee looks down and places his curled hand in Donghun's. 

 

It's so  _tiny_ , is the first thing that comes to his mind. Donghun always knew the younger man had small hands but he never really took into consideration just how small. Although his hand might look small from how it’s balled up in a loose fist, just the thought has him internally squealing.  

 

Donghun bites his bottom lip and softly tries to open the younger man’s hand. Surprisingly and thankfully, he does. Donghun presses his palm against the other man’s and notices that his fingers are a quarter longer than Junhee’s. His heart squeezes in delight. 

 

Donghun releases his lip and closes his hand, fingers threading through the younger's, interlocking.  He takes a second to appreciate the size difference before clearing his throat. He stands up straight and tugs at their interlocked hands, wordlessly communicating with Junhee.  

 

The younger man thankfully gets the message and Donghun fully expects Junhee to just walk next to him.  _However_ , this is not what happens. Instead, Junhee goes on all flours, slips his hand from Donghun’s, and heads out the door with a sudden surge of confidence. Even his hips are swinging slightly. 

 

Donghun stares at Junhee’s retreating back figure, jaw dropped open.  _What_. That’s all he thinks. Where on Earth did that shy boy from literal seconds ago disappear to?  

 

Donghun chalks it up to a mood swing. 

 

He shakes his head to clear his mind and follows after Junhee. He sees the younger plop himself on the floor and Donghun rolls his eyes, a smile on his face.  _Can’t go one second without throwing himself all over the place,_  Donghun thinks and then chuckles as he sees the younger man playing with a loose string on his shorts. 

 

He turns back to the kitchen and starts looking for the sugary treat he’s planning on giving Junhee. He starts with the fridge, opening it and sifting through all its contents, including the ones on the shelves. Nothing. He closes it and heads towards the cupboards, opening each one until he reaches the last one. He pulls open the small door and in the corner he, fortunately, sees a small bag of strawberry marshmallows.  

 

 _Score._  

 

He reaches in and grabs the bag, pulls it out and closes the cupboard. Donghun turns over the bag to check for the expiration date and he breathes out in relief when he sees it still has another two months left. He doesn’t know what he would’ve done if they didn’t already have marshmallows. Now that Donghun knows Junhee gets like this a lot he’s scared to leave him without supervision for a long time.  

 

He exits the kitchen and sees Junhee perched on the top of the couch, an innocent smile on his face. Donghun lifts a brow at him. Junhee lifts one back. The older man approaches slowly, marshmallows still in his hand. He sees Junhee eyeing the bag. If he gives him a marshmallow, that will just encourage his behavior. So, he refrains to do so at the moment. 

 

He thinks and thinks until he comes to the proper conclusion. Donghun believes the boy should be reprimanded. Praise and punishment come hand and hand and he might not be punishing him, but it’s still a form of correction. It’s the only way to get people to learn not to do things.  

 

He has a level head and isn’t angry in the slightest but he thinks about the creases the couch will have later if Junhee continues sitting there, and it just gives the older man more reason to lecture him. The thought of a messy couch simply annoys him. That’s all.  

 

He breathes deeply. ‘’ _Junnie_. Off the couch,’’ Donghun points at the ground. His mouth is set in a straight line and quite frankly, he looks a bit frightening. He calls it his _mom face._  ‘’Only good kitties get treats and good kitties don’t sit up there.’’ The older man urges Junhee by waving the bag of marshmallows in front of his face.  

 

Call him mean, but Donghun knows how to set people in the right direction. It’s why Yuchan sometimes says he resembles a nagging mother. 

 

Donghun and Junhee are looking at each other in the eye. This goes on for about three seconds before Junhee jumps down and onto the floor. Donghun smiles widely. ‘’Good kitty!’’ he praises and Junhee  _beams_. His boxy smile is on full display and he can clearly see his sharp canines which just add to the full picture of  _cat_. 

 

Donghun finds it impossibly cute so he tears open the bag of marshmallows and grabs one. Junhee notices this, meows and then proceeds to opens his mouth.  _Oh gosh_ , Donghun groans,  _he’s going to die_. He even has to feed him? _That wasn’t part of the plan,_ he thinks as the tips of his ears turn red.  

 

He gets over his hesitation and explains why he’s being treated. ‘’T-This is for behaving so well while I was dressing you,’’ and guides the marshmallow to Junhee’s mouth, placing it on his tongue. He watches the younger cross his eyes as he stares at it, his hands are obediently placed on his thighs and Donghun chuckles.  

 

The younger’s eyes sparkle as he munches on the strawberry flavored sugary substance and Donghun pats his head.  

 

Donghun sits on the couch, feels his body sink into the material slightly, and sighs as he throws his hands over his eyes. He felt refreshed and energized in the past hour as he was taking care of Junhee but now that he really settled down and let everything wash over him, he felt everything from the entire day just fall on his shoulders again. He groans as he feels some slight tension between his shoulders. He’ll have to get that checked. 

 

Time passes with Donghun just basking in the silence of the apartment, he’s close to dozing off until he feels a weight on his knee. He lifts his hands and peeks through one eye.  

 

Junhee is resting his head on his knee, eyes wide and staring straight at Donghun. The older man startles and acknowledges the boy with a thick  _hmph_.  Then, he starts ‘pawing’ at Donghun’s leg, a frown forming on his face, as a whine slips out of his mouth. 

 

‘’No, no, please don’t be sad Kitty. Do you wanna play? Is that it? Hun can play with you if you want!’’ Donghun quickly drawls out, his brain struggles to keep up with his tongue and he stumbles over some of his words. He sits up and tucks a strand of Junhee’s hair behind his ear. His brows furrow as he looks at the younger’s position.  

 

‘’Have you been sitting down there the whole time?’’ Donghun pays close attention to Junhee and the cat rubs his face on the elder's knee, a soft and quiet  _meow_  slipping out.  

 

Donghun feels this sudden weight of disappointment settle on his shoulders. Not disappointment in Junhee. No. Disappointment in himself. He should have explained himself better when he was reprimanding the kitten earlier. Even through all this, a feeling he can’t quite place surges through him at the realization that Junhee listened to  _him_.  

 

Still feeling guilty that the younger man had been sitting on the floor the whole time, waiting for him to wake up, he pats the spot next to him. ‘’Come up here, Kitty. That must be very uncomfortable, right?’’ He watches his roommate perk up and if he had an actual tail ( _don’t think about it too much, don’t think about it too much_ ) it would be languidly waving back and forth in contentment. 

 

The younger man climbs up onto the couch and situates himself. He lays on his side and curls his body into a ball and rests his head in Donghun’s lap. His hair spreads out on the other man’s legs, and all he can register is  _warmth_. The elder’s cheeks stain red. The kitty lets out makeshift-purrs and rubs his face with his ‘paw’, then lets it drop down back to his chest.  

 

‘’Much better, right? I’m sorry I didn’t explain myself better before.’’ Donghun whispers, scared to break the magical illusion of  _whatever’s_  going on here. He starts running a hand through Junhee’s chestnut locks, lightly scratching at the boy’s scalp. Junhee smiles softly. 

 

Donghun gets an idea and he reaches to his right, trying hard not to jostle Junhee. He digs into the couch cushions in an attempt to find the remote control. His fingers hit something hard and he pulls it out, seeing the rectangular box that controls the TV.   _Aha_. 

 

He turns the TV on and clicks to a random channel, hoping there to be a movie. When he sees a scene from Jurassic Park he smiles in satisfaction and drops the control back onto the couch. He hopes Junhee doesn’t mind. One quick glance at the younger man and Donghun sees his eyes are glazed over and he’s concentrated on the movie. 

 

He focuses back on the screen and settles into the couch. The thought of getting blankets crosses his mind but the heater is on and if they need them at any point, he’ll just go and grab a pair. 

 

For now, he relaxes and lets his mind drift.  

 

 

 

 

 

When the credits start to roll his eyes are droopy and it’s technically nighttime already. He looks down and sees Junhee completely knocked out, mouth hanging open and some drool already seeping out. Donghun smiles fondly.  

 

The older man carefully lifts Junhee’s head from his lap and he slips out from underneath him. He stands up and rubs at his eyes. The back of his head looks like a bird’s nest and his thigh has a red print on it from having Junhee lay on it for so long. 

 

He makes his way to his respective room with the intention of finding something to cover them both and looks around. He searches through his drawers but doesn’t find what he needs. He crouches down and spots two big wool blankets laying on the floor.  _It may be gross but it’ll do,_  he shrugs and a yawn escapes his body before he can stop it.  

 

He also makes sure to grab two of his pillows before heading out and getting back to Junhee. Upon getting nearer to the couch, he sees the younger of the two has somehow rolled over in his sleep and is now laying on his back.  

 

When Donghun reaches the couch, he sets down one pillow against the arm of the couch and the other he slips, with great difficulty, under Junhee’s head. The older man bends down and combs through Junhee’s hair. “Kitty, I’m gonna move you. I need you to help me a bit, alright?” He whispers. Junhee mumbles something in reply and when Donghun goes to flip him on his side, the younger easily complies.  

 

Before he forgets, Donghun searches for the remote again and shuts the TV off. He leaves the control on the coffee table.  

 

Turning back to the younger man, Donghun drapes a blanket over Junhee before climbing on the couch and wiggling his way behind him. He grabs the second blanket and drapes it over his body, as well. In a last minute attempt, Donghun hesitantly wraps his arm around Junhee. The younger subconsciously goes after the heat and Donghun lightly squeezes his arm around the other’s torso. His body warms up and he finds himself not even caring at this point.  

 

When morning comes they’ll have to talk this through and, hell, maybe it’ll be awkward. Maybe it won’t. All he knows is that doing this with Junhee, taking part in something that helps him, it made him feel good, too. Made him feel more included and relieve stress. That’s all that matters. 

 

 

He still doesn’t understand what happened but all he knows is that something changed between them two. He hopes it’s for the better.  

 

 

 

 

That night, Donghun falls asleep to the smell of peaches all around him and a familiar warmth pressing into his chest.  

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading ! kitty junhee is what this world needs uwu
> 
> also, yes... junhee has kitty gear (the ears, tail, paw mitts) but since he dropped out of nowhere and so suddenly he wasn't able to put any of it on !!! :( poor kitty 
> 
> this will most likely be a two part series with the other part of this being nc17 and can be read as a stand alone (possibly expect junhee using his kitty gear as well hehe)
> 
> if you see any grammatical errors please tell me as i am my own beta!


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